Isolation and properties of Paecilomyces sp. No. 5 capable of degrading high concentrations of formaldehyde

摘要

Six strains of fungi that degrade formaldehyde were isolated from the soil. Strain no. 5 degraded formaldehyde concentrations as high as 2.0 percent within 20 days. Colonial and morphological properties indicated that strain no. 5 belongs to the genus Paecilomyces. This strain proliferated in medium containing 1.5 percent formaldehyde as the sole carbon source. The upper concentration limit of formaldehyde that permitted fungal growth was 2.4 percent and strain no. 5 degraded that concentration of formaldehyde completely within 55 days.